WILKES UNIVERSITY P R E S I D E N T ’ S R E P O RT June 2015 - May 2016
WILKES UNIVERSITY P R E S I D E N T ’ S R E P O RT June 2015 - May 2016
CONTENTS
PRESIDENT ’S MESSAGE ........................................................... 4 FEATURES Feature I: Partnering with Panama......................................................................... 6 Feature II: Nursing Reaches New Heights.............................................................. 8 Feature III: Honors Program.................................................................................. 10 Feature IV: 25th in the Nation............................................................................... 12 Feature V: Helping Our Community to SHINE................................................... 14
RESEARCH, SCHOLARSHIP & ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVIT Y ........................................ 16 CAMPUS IMPROVEMENTS .................................................... 18 NEWS AT WILKES ............................................................................. 24 BY THE NUMBERS ........................................................................... 28 COMMUNIT Y IMPACT .................................................................. 30 UNIVERSIT Y LEADERSHIP 2015-2016 .................... 32
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PRESIDENT ’S MESSAGE
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DEAR FRIENDS: Wilkes University is on a mission. We are creating one of the finest “small universities” not just in our region, but in our nation. We want to offer all of the programs, activities, and opportunities of a large, research university in the caring, mentoring, intimate environment of a small, liberal arts college. From our research, we know this combination is unique. From our experience, we know it is special. The most recent academic year—our 83rd as an institution of higher learning—advanced us toward this goal in numerous ways. As you will see in the enclosed, Wilkes launched initiatives locally, nationally, and internationally. We innovated to expand access to education through online delivery, growing our graduate programming by nearly 25% in one year. We attracted the best undergraduate students ever to Wilkes through new academic programs, while staying true to our founding principles of providing educational opportunity for all qualified students. In fact, a full 50% of our undergraduate students during the past year were the first in their families to pursue a four-year college degree, and over 40% of them were eligible for Pell grants, which support students of highest financial need. What started out 83 years ago as Bucknell University Junior College continued its evolution into a large master’s-level university with two colleges and four schools, offering 50 bachelor’s degree programs, 25 master’s programs, and four doctoral (or terminal) degrees. While our faculty members remain first and foremost committed to teaching, they are also scholars, researchers, and entrepreneurs. As you will see in the enclosed, more discovery is happening at Wilkes than ever before. During the past year, we at Wilkes initiated the quiet phase of a comprehensive campaign, aimed at supporting the University’s ambitious Gateway to the Future Strategic Plan. Already, we have announced the two largest gifts in our history, one to name our School of Nursing for John Passan and one to name our new consolidated media center on South Main Street for Clayton and Theresa Karambelas. And this is just the beginning of this effort. Look for many more announcements like these in the years to come. I invite you to see in the enclosed what a typical year at Wilkes University looks like. Thank you for all the ways you make Wilkes unique ... and special. Sincerely,
Dr. Patrick F. Leahy President 5
FE ATURE I
PARTNERING
WITH
PANAMA Wilkes has launched a historic and comprehensive partnership with the Republic of Panama that reflects the spirit and principles upon which the University was founded more than 80 years ago. The programs being advanced by Panama’s Ministry of Education— known as MEDUCA—provide opportunities for that country’s best and brightest while also giving access to higher education for more students. The alliance promises to help Wilkes fulfill its strategic goal of maximizing international exposure for its students, creating a campus that is increasingly global in its focus. As one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, Panama is the ideal partner. The partnership began early this year when Wilkes hosted the first cohort of teachers who came to the University to study under the MEDUCA-Bilingual Panama program, which aims to fulfill Panama’s national commitment to make the country’s public schools fully bilingual. An initiative of Panamanian
HIGHLIGHTS • Wilkes is one of 28 schools in the United
President Juan Carlos Varela, the program brings teachers to study at colleges and universities in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The University also hosted a visit in February by Marcela Paredes de Vásquez, Panama’s education minister. During Minister Paredes de Vásquez’s visit, she and Wilkes President Patrick Leahy signed a second agreement, paving the way for additional educational partnerships in education and the STEM fields: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. In January 2016, President Leahy traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, to sign an agreement with Isabel Saint Malo de Alvarado, Panama’s vice president and minister of foreign affairs. Under this agreement, Wilkes will provide educational opportunities for Panama’s diplomatic corps in the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, the country’s equivalent to the U.S. Department of State. In addition, Wilkes has signed agreements with four of Panama’s universities—Universidad de Panamá, Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá, Universidad Especializada de las Américas, and Universidad Latina —to facilitate academic collaborations, study abroad, faculty exchanges, and joint research.
States, Canada, and the United Kingdom participating in the MEDUCA-Bilingual Panama initiative. • Three cohorts of Panamanian teachers will study at Wilkes annually as part of the Bilingual Panama initiative. • Wilkes is the only American university sponsoring Feria del Libro de Panamá 2016, one of the largest cultural and book fairs in Latin America, drawing 100,000 visitors.
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FE ATURE I
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FE ATURE II
Nursing
REACHES NEW HEIGHTS
Forty years after graduating its first class of bachelor’s-level nurses, Wilkes University’s nursing program has transformed into the most comprehensive and advanced nursing school in northeastern Pennsylvania. The most visible change is the naming of the school for philanthropist John J. Passan. His gift—the largest in Wilkes history—created a dedicated endowment for the Passan School of Nursing that will provide technology and professional development experiences for students. Wilkes hosts the only named school of nursing in northeastern Pennsylvania, emphasizing the discipline’s importance to the institution and the region. The naming came on the heels of separating nursing from the Nesbitt School of Pharmacy. The Passan School boasts a broad nursing curriculum extending from the baccalaureate to doctoral level. As graduates of a comprehensive school of nursing, Passan students beginning in 2017 will earn bachelor and master of science degrees in nursing—a B.S.N. or M.S.N.—rather than a bachelor’s or master’s with a major in nursing. Online graduate enrollment swelled to 830 students since Wilkes launched a nationwide initiative to extend our reach to a broader audience. Doctoral and master’s-level students come from 28 U.S. states and Canada. Wilkes now also offers popular, online nurse practitioner programs in adult-gerontology primary care and in psychiatric/mental health. Or nurses can earn master’s degrees in informatics, education, and executive. NP programs in family practice, pediatrics, and women’s health are planned as well. At the bachelor’s level, the number of nursing majors climbed to 302 in 2015, comprising about 13 percent of the undergraduate student body and making nursing the most popular course of study at Wilkes.
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FE ATURE II
Passan plans to add the University’s first doctor of philosophy degree in 2017 to complement the doctor of nursing practice program launched in 2010. The D.N.P. focuses on applied research, while the Ph.D. will emphasize academic research. Besides helping to meet the nation’s growing need for nurse educators, the Ph.D. program will advance Wilkes toward the goal of becoming a national doctoral research university.
The addition of a nursing Ph.D. will help Wilkes advance toward the goal of becoming a doctoral research university.
HIGHLIGHTS • A Ph.D. program, the University’s first, will launch in 2017. • The Passan School is northeastern Pennsylvania’s only named school of nursing. • Additional nurse practitioner programs are planned. • Undergraduate nursing students comprise about 13 percent of the student body, making it the most popular major.
Wilkes recently consolidated nursing facilities and offices in the renovated Stark Learning Center, with plans to add more classrooms and computer laboratories. The state-of-the-art Clinical Nursing Simulation Center, opened in late 2013, provides hands-on experience with anatomical models and lifelike manikins. The changes have energized students, reports Dean Deborah Zbegner, adding that nursing graduates marched exuberantly to the spring commencement ceremony. “To be called the ‘Passan School of Nursing’ and hold our own banner, it was a greater sense of pride that I’d never seen before.” The transformation ushers a new era in nursing education, with more scholarships, upto-date technology, and opportunities for students and faculty to attend professional conferences. The Passan School is positioned to lead as nurses take on greater roles in health care.
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HIGHLIGHTS • Freshmen in the honors program are housed together in a living-learning community. • The University has accepted 37 students for the 2016-2017 honors class. • The average SAT score for the 2016-2017 honors program class is significantly higher than the average student.
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Extraordinary students benefit from living-learning community. Thirty high-achieving freshmen found a new place to call home in fall 2015 with the launch of Wilkes University’s honors program. Designed by a faculty advisory committee, the program helps Wilkes recruit highly motivated and talented students and provides them with an extraordinary academic experience. The honors program offers enhanced coursework, but provides much more than classroom study. Students bond as part of a living-learning community. During freshman year, they lived in Michelini Hall, a recently renovated mansion named to honor the University’s second president. Students benefit from cultural events, field trips, and access to notable visiting speakers. They are also rewarded for their achievements with scholarship opportunities and enrichment grants to cover the costs of research or study abroad. During their Wilkes career, honors students maintain an online portfolio which allows them to reflect on their college experiences and serves as a useful tool when preparing résumés or graduate school applications. Honors students give back to Wilkes in a variety of ways, including strengthening our reputation for academic excellence. They take the field as student athletes or demonstrate their leadership skills in campus clubs and organizations. They also aid in recruitment efforts, appearing at open houses and serving as resources for prospective students and their parents. These exceptional students are already making a name for Wilkes in the world. One biology major spent the summer as an intern at the Smithsonian Institution, while four other honors students attended a humanitarian affairs conference in Vietnam.
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FE ATURE IV
The University’s commitment to its students carries with it the promise that a Wilkes education will enable them to achieve their dreams. It also is a promise that their education will allow them to have a better life. This year, the value of a Wilkes education was affirmed by the esteemed international publication The Economist. One of the world’s most respected publications, The Economist has been continuously published since 1843. For the first time in its more than 150-year history, this publication ranked 1,275 American colleges and universities from 1 to 1,275. The publication named Wilkes 25th in the nation for the value of its education for its graduates. That ranking is just one place ahead of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This recognition of a Wilkes education also affirms our commitment to serve the next generation. More importantly, it affirms that the University is fulfilling its promise of a successful life after graduation. For the many Wilkes students who are the first in their families to attend college—indeed for all of the University’s students —it is one of the most important promises to fulfill.
... 24. Rhode Island School of Design 25. Wilkes University 26. Massachusetts Institute ...
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of Technology
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HIGHLIGHTS • The Economist ranking estimates that Wilkes graduates earn approximately $8,250 more annually than expected. • The publication used variables such as average SAT scores, gender ratio, college size, socioeconomic data, whether a university was public or private, and majors to arrive at the ranking.
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After-school program gives Wilkes the opportunity to positively impact Luzerne County for years to come.
Helping our Community to
SHINE
When local leaders saw the need for an education-based after-school program, they asked Wilkes University to help. Congressman Lou Barletta and state Sen. John Yudichak invited Wilkes to partner with Schools and Homes in Education, or SHINE, to serve Luzerne County elementary school students. Recognizing SHINE as an opportunity to fulfill its commitment to community engagement, the University agreed to provide administrative support as well as academic and intellectual resources. Funding for the program comes from federal, state, and private sources. Launched in fall 2015, SHINE provides more than a place to hang out after the school bell rings. SHINE helps children build academic and social skills using a project-based curriculum to provide a safe, fun, academically challenging environment to help students improve grades, behavior, and school attendance.
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Team activities, like building a birdhouse using engineering principles and computer-assisted drafting (CAD), allow students to focus on different skills and fill learning gaps. One may work with equations to brush up his math skills while another interprets instructions to improve her reading comprehension. During homework time, teachers and Wilkes student interns provide encouragement and assistance. Knowing the important role family plays in educational success, SHINE also holds family nights and conducts home visits during the school year and in the summer months. SHINE plans to serve more students at its existing sites during the 2016-2017 academic year. The program will also recruit qualified high school students to serve as onsite tutors and provide additional opportunities for Wilkes students to gain hands-on educational experience.
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HIGHLIGHTS • The Luzerne County SHINE program is modeled after award-winning after-school programs in Carbon and Schuylkill counties. • The program uses a project-based STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) curriculum. • Luzerne County SHINE serves more than 360 students in grades K–8 at seven program centers.
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R E S E A R C H , S C H O L A R S H I P, & ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY
TRANSFORMING WOUND CARE
STRENGTHENING SCIENCE EDUCATION
Ali Razavi, professor of mechanical engineering, was awarded a patent for a product that could revolutionize wound care and healing. He worked with his research partners, Ken Pidcock, professor of biology, and Owen Faut, professor emeritus of chemistry, to develop a silver compound that mimics how the body’s immune system fights infection and produces oxygen to kill harmful bacteria. It is one of the first two patents to be awarded at the University.
Jin “Joy” Mao, assistant professor of education, is collaborating on a National Science Foundation-funded project to develop openaccess course materials for undergraduates focusing on laboratory methods and analytical skills to increase the number of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors. The research team received a $275,507 grant for the project that focuses on the geosciences and other STEM fields.
REVOLUTIONIZING MEDICAL TREATMENT
EXAMINING MATH EDUCATION INTERNATIONALLY
Abas Sabouni, assistant professor of electrical engineering, developed a non-invasive, real-time method for tracing the effects of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), an FDAapproved procedure that uses intense pulsed magnetic fields to treat depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other brain disorders. He also has developed the use of microwave technology to detect breast cancer, improving the imaging associated with its treatment and identifed new ways to characterize tumors.
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Karim Medico Letwinsky, assistant professor of education, presented at two conferences in Spain. Her research examined student learning outcomes resulting from the change of math practice and was part of a multi-year grant from the U.S. Department of State. The grant focuses on the professional development of international K-12 math teachers and a worldwide STEM initiative.
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R E S E A R C H , S C H O L A R S H I P, & ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY
COLD CLIMATE CHANGE
BETTER BLUETOOTH
ADAPTABLE WHEELCHAIR
Ned Fetcher, coordinator of the Institute for Environmental Science and Sustainability, led a research team north of the Arctic Circle to study the effects of climate change on plant life. Funded by a $1 million National Science Foundation grant, the team included three Wilkes students.
Wilkes mechanical and electrical engineering 2016 graduates Alex Bitzar, Dylan Donaldson, Ashmed Masoudi, and Brett Schenck are partnering with the Allan P. Kirby Center for Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship to develop, market, and patent an intelligent Bluetooth speaker system. Developed as their engineering senior project, it can track a listener’s position and automatically adjust speakers.
Edward Bednarz, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, worked with a student team to develop a wheelchair that easily adjusts to any width, collapses, and goes back to its original size. It adapts to patient size, eliminating the need to replace a chair due to weight gain or loss.
VOTING BOOTH BEHAVIOR Thomas Baldino, professor of political science, and Kyle Kreider, associate professor of political science, are coeditors of Minority Voting in the United States. The two-volume reference examines voting patterns of minorities in America—an increasing part of the electorate that will play a significant role in the 2016 presidential election.
ACORN TO FOREST
IMPROVING PATIENT SAFETY
Michael A. Steele, professor of biology, received a $134,204 OPUS Award from the National Science Foundation to fund the completion of a book synthesizing more than 25 years of his research. Steele’s research focuses on acorn dispersal in the ecosystem by rodents and jays and examines why dispersal is important for regeneration of forests worldwide.
Judy Kristeller, professor of pharmacy practice, and Dana Manning, associate professor of pharmacy practice, received a $150,000 grant from the Cardinal Health Foundation to expand their pharmacy practice model which works with hospital and community pharmacists to improve medication safety for patients in transition.
COMPUTER-SIMULATED CURES
VIRTUAL-REALITY NURSING
Del Lucent, assistant professor of physics, uses computer simulation to study protein folding, a process that could cure dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and certain cancers. Lucent’s research gives Wilkes access to free protein-folding software through Stanford University’s Folding@Home project.
Nurse practitioner students demonstrated the value of virtual patient simulation in a descriptive study by Mary Jane Miskovsky, assistant professor in the DNP program. Using a web-based program called Digital Clinical Experience, they interviewed and evaluated lifelike, digital “patients” for a 12-week distance education course in advanced physical assessment.
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CAMPUS IMPROVEMENTS
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CAMPUS IMPROVEMENTS
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CAMPUS IMPROVEMENTS
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“With the creation of the campus Gateway, we are pursuing a decades-long dream of creating a traditional residential campus in the urban setting of Wilkes-Barre.” Dr. Patrick F. Leahy President 20
CAMPUS IMPROVEMENTS
ENHANCING THE CAMPUS EXPERIENCE
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The Gateway, dedicated in fall 2015, provided a new entry to campus from South Main Street.
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More than 47,700 paver bricks were used to create the Gateway.
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With more than 2,000 plants and trees, the project creates a green oasis on campus.
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The Howard replica clock graces the sitting area outside Weckesser Hall.
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Pedestrian crosswalks created at each end of the Gateway unite campus.
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CAMPUS IMPROVEMENTS
THE LAWRENCE AND SALLY COHEN SCIENCE CENTER The University’s state-of-the-art science center, which opened in 2014, was awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. LEED is the most widely recognized third-party verification for green buildings. LEED-certified buildings are resource efficient, using less water and energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
MICHELINI HALL Wilkes celebrated the legacy of its second president, Francis J. Michelini, when it dedicated a building in his honor. Barre Hall, a Wilkes student residence hall, was renamed and renovated.
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CAMPUS IMPROVEMENTS
NEW DINING OPTIONS The University’s new food service partner, Aramark, enhanced dining at Wilkes with more campus locations and choices. A full-service Starbucks, Which Wich sandwich shop and Provisions on Demand (POD) convenience store offer students more ways to dine than ever.
VETERANS CENTER OF EXCELLENCE The Veterans Center of Excellence on the lower level of Conyngham Hall provides a single location to coordinate services for students who are military veterans. The facility offers a private computer room, lounge, kitchen, and peer mentoring and professional room.
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WILKES ALUMNUS WINS MAN BOOKER PRIZE Creative writing alumnus Marlon James MA ’06 won the prestigious Man Booker Prize in October 2015 for his novel A Brief History of Seven Killings. Considered one of the world’s top honors for writing, the prize aims to promote the finest in fiction by rewarding the best novel of the year written in English and published in the United Kingdom. The first Jamaican to win the international prize, James now is in the company of such notable authors as Salman Rushdie, Hilary Mantel, and Philip Roth. James’ prize-winning novel is an epic 686 pages with 75 characters and voices. Set in Kingston, Jamaica, where James was born, the book is a fictional history set around the 1976 attempted murder of reggae artist Bob Marley. The novel was named a best book of the year by The New York Times,The Washington Post, Publisher’s Weekly, and others.
DARTE CENTER MARKS 50TH ANNIVERSARY The Dorothy Dickson Darte Center for the Performing Arts may be 50 years old, but the anniversary celebration on Oct. 24, 2015, showed its role is just as vital as when it opened its doors a half-century ago. Performances by students in choral and instrumental ensembles, dance numbers, and scenes presented by Wilkes University Theatre showcased the continued vitality of the performing arts on campus. Alumni shared reminiscences at the event. Designed by Tony Award-winning scenic designer Donald Oenslager, the building is both beautiful and practical. The 480-seat auditorium features a 34-foot-deep stage with a hydraulic orchestra pit and state-of-the-art lighting and sound.
ACCREDITATION REAFFIRMED BY MIDDLE STATES COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION The Middle States Commission on Higher Education reaffirmed Wilkes’ accreditation in November 2015. The accreditation was reaffirmed with no required follow-up, confirming Wilkes’ academic quality. Of the 38 institutions who went through the periodic review process, Wilkes was one of only 16 requiring no follow-up. The commission is the primary accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for all colleges and universities in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The University’s next self-study will be due during the 2019-20 academic year. A newly developed accreditation cycle will require an institutional self-study every eight years instead of every 10 years. 24
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NEW ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP INTRODUCED Three new deans joined Wilkes in the 2015-2016 academic year. William Hudson, Ph.D., joined the University as dean of the College of Science and Engineering. He previously was dean of the College of Engineering, Mathematics, and Science at University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
Rhonda M. Rabbitt, Ph.D., became dean of the School of Education. Prior to joining Wilkes she was assistant dean and director of graduate programs in education at Viterbo University, La Crosse, Wis.
In the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Paul Riggs, Ph.D., became the new dean. He had been interim associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, department head and professor of history at Valdosta State University,Valdosta, Ga.
NEUROTRAINING AND RESEARCH CENTER The new NeuroTraining and Research Center opened in Breiseth Hall—the only one of its kind in the region and unique in the United States for providing services free to faculty, staff, and students. The center provides training in techniques to improve focus, reduce stress, and increase calmness. It also offers opportunities for internships and research for students in Wilkes’ new neuroscience major and for psychology majors.
WILKES IN ARIZONA EXPANDS OPPORTUNITIES The University’s Arizona center continues to provide new opportunities for expanding the University’s educational mission. A full range of undergraduate business programs are now offered in the Mesa Center for Higher Education, with the Accelerated Bachelor of Business Administration the most recent addition. The master of business administration and master’s degrees in creative writing also are offered. The year was highlighted by the signing of a transfer agreement with the Maricopa Community Colleges, one of the largest community college systems in the United States. The Mesa location also offers opportunities for students from Pennsylvania, with education majors doing student teaching and engineering and business students completing internships in Arizona in the spring 2016 semester.
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NE WS AT WILKES
WILKES UNIVERSITY HONORED BY NEPA RAINBOW ALLIANCE Wilkes received a Rainbow Award from the Northeast Pennsylvania Rainbow Alliance. The award honors individuals and organizations that have helped make northeast Pennsylvania more supportive of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. The Safe Space program at Wilkes was recognized for supporting the LGBT campus community by identifying responsive faculty and staff members through the use of the safe space sticker. When the sticker is displayed, students know they have the freedom to speak openly about LGBT issues. This voluntary program offers education and awareness training. The Safe Space Ally training provides participants with supportive tools to advocate both on and off campus for the LGBT community.
PARTNERSHIP BRINGS STUDENTS TO UNITED NATIONS Political science major Beth Gilbert of Wilkes-Barre received real-world experience about international government when she interned at the United Nations. Gilbert spent summer 2015 interning for the permanent mission of the Republic of Rwanda to the United Nations. Gilbert, who graduated in May 2016, also was elected to Wilkes-Barre City Council during her senior year. The internship is one of several opportunities provided by Wilkes’ partnership with the Humpty Dumpty Institute, a nonprofit that partners with government entities to find solutions to humanitarian issues. Wilkes is the only northeast Pennsylvania university to partner with the organization. In addition to internships, a group of Wilkes students has the opportunity to spend a day behind the scenes at the U.N. in spring semester. The partnership also brings United Nations diplomats to campus for lectures and discussions throughout the year.
PRESCRIPTION FOR SUCCESS A select number of 2016 pharmacy graduates - 27 - are pursuing fellowships and residencies after earning their doctor of pharmacy degrees. The number represents more than one-third of the graduating class and the most graduates ever placed. Ninety percent of pharmacy students who applied were matched with a residency program - higher than the national average of 66 percent. Post-graduate pharmacy training includes residencies, fellowships, and doctoral programs. Although not required for practice, it allows pharmacists to work in advanced positions within the profession. Residencies may be a one- or two-year commitment, and fellowships follow a two-year specialized track. The select number of graduates awarded post-graduate positions adds to the honor and value of this opportunity.
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MEN’S LACROSSE EXPANDS WILKES’ INTERCOLLEGIATE SPORTS OFFERINGS Men’s lacrosse was added to Wilkes’ intercollegiate sports offerings in the 2015-2016 academic year, taking to the field in its inaugural season coached by Curtis Jaques. The addition of lacrosse brings the total number of Wilkes sports to 20, including 10 men’s sports: baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, and wrestling; and 10 women’s sports: basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, and volleyball. Wilkes also announced that the number of sports would increase to 21 in the 2016-2017 year, with the addition of men’s volleyball. The return of lacrosse marks the rebirth of a program that competed at the varsity level throughout the 1970s, capturing a Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) championship in 1975.
MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TENNIS TEAMS WIN MAC FREEDOM CHAMPIONSHIPS Wilkes men’s and women’s tennis teams made history as each added to the number of consecutive MAC Freedom championships won by the teams. The men’s team won its ninth consecutive MAC title while the women’s team had its 10th consecutive championship. Both teams advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The women’s and men’s teams each ended the season with losses in the NCAA second round. Chris Leicht is head coach for the two teams.
WILKES SENIOR WINS INTERNSHIP AT STANFORD’S NATIONAL ACCELERATOR LABORATORY Wilkes University biology graduate Justin Hunter ’16 was awarded a three-month internship at Stanford University’s prestigious SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. The name SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory pays homage to the legacy of the lab and its connection to Stanford and the U.S. Department of Energy. Formerly the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, the lab’s name was changed in 2008 as SLAC underwent a shift from a focus on particle physics to a broader, multi-program laboratory with research across a range of areas including X-ray science, chemistry, materials sciences, astrophysics and many others. Hunter plans to earn a master’s degree and doctorate in parasitology and infectious diseases.
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BY THE NUMBERS
120,000,000
Total dollars in the University’s annual operating budget.
22,000,000
Total number of dollars distributed as institutional financial aid.
13,800,000
Dollar amount committed from philanthropic support, pledges and government sources.
1,000,000 75,000 5,053 3,000 1,273
Hours of service provided to the community by students, faculty, and staff. Total number of students enrolled in all programs on all sites
(2,421 undergraduates, 2,164 master’s degree students and 468 students enrolled in doctoral and master of fine arts programs).
Miles traveled by Wilkes biology students for the unique opportunity to conduct research in the Arctic Circle.
Number of degrees conferred in 2015-2016.
946
Number of alumni who have attended Wilkes events on- and off-campus.
831
Number of full- and part-time employees dedicating their lives to educating students.
830 414 28
Dollars raised to date by the Founders Gala supporting the First Generation Scholarship Fund.
Total online nursing graduate students enrolled in one year. Number of student athletes participating in 20 Division III varsity sports. P R E S I D E N T ’ S R E P O RT 2 0 1 6
BY THE NUMBERS
168
Number of appointments for services in the first year at the NeuroTraining and Research Center—the only one of its kind in the region.
152
Students who use Wilkes’ 400-MHz nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer—the only one of its kind in northeast Pennsylvania.
80 70
Number of student clubs and organizations. Total number of degree programs
(41 undergraduate, 25 master’s and 4 leading to doctorates or the master of fine arts degree, the terminal degrees in those fields).
50
Number of states where Wilkes alumni reside.
47
Number of countries that Wilkes alumni call home.
35
Students in the Marching Colonels, the region’s only collegiate marching band.
29
Reports and studies for clients and community organizations completed by the Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development.
15
Number of foreign countries represented among Wilkes students, bringing the world to Wilkes and Wilkes to the world.
4
Students who studied in the Galápagos Islands.
3
Patent applications filed on behalf of faculty and students.
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Unique University offering all of the programs, activities, and opportunities of a large research university in the caring, mentoring, intimate environment of a small, liberal arts college.
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COMMUNIT Y IMPACT
ECONOMIC IMPACT
The University’s local and regional economic impact is extraordinary. According to a study by the Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development:
Wilkes’ operations, combined with faculty, staff, student, and visitor spending, annually generates
County and city government is supported with over
IN TOTAL ECONOMIC OUTPUT.
IN DIRECT CONTRIBUTIONS.
$147,972,751 4,000+
$233,000 REGIONAL BUSINESSES ARE SUPPORTED WITH
PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS
FREE SERVICES
in the region benefit annually from programs sponsored by Wilkes, including Science in Motion, Adventures in Science, SHINE, Upward Bound, and Women Empowered by Science.
through the Allan P. Kirby Center for Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, the Small Business Development Center, the Family Business Alliance, and student-run public relations firm Zebra Communications.
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT The Allan P. Kirby Center for Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship is making a major impact on the development of businesses in the area. Center accomplishments include:
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• 69 unique client companies • 20 industries represented • 7 client businesses issued patents • 9 business patents pending
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COMMUNIT Y IMPACT
Wilkes was named to the
President’s Community Service Honor Roll. Faculty, staff, and students provided 75,000 hours of service last year. Service provided by the Wilkes campus community is valued at $1,767,000.
ORIENTATION Community service starts at new student orientation, where 613 students and 22 mentors donated 2,000 hours of service to over 30 community organizations.
BIG EVENT The fourth annual Big Event engaged more than 440 students for a day of community service in multiple sites throughout the community. Organized by 20 student leaders, it is a largescale, single-day initiative designed to show the University’s gratitude and commitment to the community.
CAMP SIGHT Service learning is a requirement for many academic programs. Students in the Nesbitt School of Pharmacy volunteered at Camp Sight, a four-week day camp for blind and visually impaired youth sponsored by the Greater Wilkes-Barre Association for the Blind. Pharmacy students with faculty advisor Dr. Marie Roke-Thomas designed a curriculum using various methods and tactile learning implements to provide nutritional counseling, poison prevention, and smoking prevention to this unique group of students.
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UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP 2015- 2016
President’s Cabinet (2015-2016) Board of Trustees Dr. Anne Skleder Senior Vice President/Provost Dr. Paul S. Adams ’77, M’82 Vice President for Student Affairs Jack J. Chielli M’08 Associate Vice President for Marketing Communications Dr. Jennifer Edmonds Interim Dean of the Jay S. Sidhu Business School of Business and Leadership Dr. Bernard W. Graham Dean of the Nesbitt School of Pharmacy Joseph Housenick Chief Human Resources Officer Dr. William B. Hudson Dean of the College of Science and Engineering Thomas S. MacKinnon Vice President of University Advancement Loren D. Prescott Jr. Vice President for Finance and General Counsel Dr. Rhonda Rabbitt Dean of the School of Education Dr. Paul Riggs Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences David J. Rhodes Interim Vice President for Enrollment Services John C. Stachacz Dean of the Library and Information Technology Dr. Terese M. Wignot Associate Provost Michael J. Wood Assistant to the President for External Affairs
Daniel Cardell ’79, Chair Christopher Hackett, Vice Chair Dr. Daniel Klem Jr. ’68, Secretary Virginia Sikes, Treasurer Michael Brewster Laura B. Cardinale ’72 Terrence Casey ’81 Dr. Cynthia Charnetski ’97 Charles F. Cohen Jeff Davidowitz Ray Dombroski ’78 William Grant ’86 Jason Griggs ’90 Randa Fahmy Hudome ’86 John Kerr ’72 Carol Keup ’89 Milan S. Kirby Dr. Patrick F. Leahy
Melanie Maslow Kern Randall Mark ’81 George J. Matz ’71 John R. Miller ’68 William R. Miller ’81 Dr. Stelios Patsiokas ’75 George Pawlush ’69 ’76 Thomas Ralston ’80 Hedy Rittenmeyer ’72 Steven Roth ’84 Dr. Elizabeth A. Slaughter ’68 Douglas Straub Matthew Sordoni
Faculty Affairs Council Dr. Jonathan D. Ference, Chairperson Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice
University Staff Advisory Council Jamie R. Miller, Chairperson Assistant Director Residence Life
Student Government Anthony Fanucci ’16, Student Government President
Dr. Deborah A. Zbegner Dean of the Passan School of Nursing
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8 4 W E S T S O U T H S T R E E T, W I L K E S - BA R R E , PA 1 8 7 6 6 www.wilkes.edu